ROLLED AWAY!

ROLLED AWAY!

Luke 11:46

46 But He said, Woe to you, the lawyers, also! For you load men with oppressive burdens hard to bear, and you do not personally [even gently] touch the burdens with one of your fingers.

AMPLIFIED

Luke 12:29-32

29 And seek not ye what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink, neither be ye of doubtful mind.

30 For all these things do the nations of the world seek after: and your Father knoweth that ye have need of these things.

31 But rather seek ye the kingdom of God; and all these things shall be added unto you.

32 Fear not, little flock; for it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom.

1 Peter 5:6-7

6 Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time:

7 Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you.

          Every now and then it is good for we who are adults to remember the songs of our Sunday School days. There are many elementary yet profound doctrines in those little choruses. One such chorus we used to sing is “Roll Away” or maybe it should be “Rolled Away” but as kids we hardly cared for the difference. It included a hand motion that looked like a football referee signaling a “false start” penalty but then the hands and arms would fling out sideward as if something had been balled up and tossed to either side. How we loved to sing it.

          The premise behind the little chorus is simple. When we met Jesus as our Savior “every burden of our hearts rolled away!” There are actually two reasons for this but we never examined them when we were children. First we learned, in First Peter 5:6 – 7, that Jesus is our great burden bearer. He cares for us and has strong shoulders willing to take our heavy load. It was and still is a happy thought.

          Gradually, as we matured, we began to appreciate our church family as mutual burden-bearers (see Galatians 6:2). If someone in our family-of-faith has a need or a burden we quickly step in to lighten their load and when we are loaded down with needs and grief they step in to help shoulder ours. It is a wonderful purpose for the local church.

Roll away – roll away – roll away!

Every burden of my heart – roll away!

Every sin had to go – ‘neath the crimson flow – hallelujah!

Roll away – roll away – roll away!

Every burden of my heart – roll away!

Dear Jesus, help your children to recognize you as their great burden-bearer. Gently take our burdens and lighten our load. AMEN